Thesis or Dissertation Process

As an undergraduate, you might have occasionally procrastinated when you were supposed to be writing papers and ended up pulling all-nighters. You cannot write an entire thesis or dissertation in one night, so you must understand what you will need to do to finish in time.

Select an article below to learn more.

The Dissertation Defense: The Final Hoop to Jump

You are almost there. You have completed your coursework. You have passed your comps. You have finished writing your dissertation. Now, the only obstacle between you and the prestigious title of Doctor is your dissertation defense. Many people often get really nervous about defending their dissertations, but in most cases, if your committee is allowing […]

What is a Research Proposal?

If you have never written a research proposal before, you might be wondering why it is an important and necessary part of the dissertation process. This is your first chance to present your thesis or dissertation ideas in written form to your professors and committee members and to demonstrate to them that you have organized […]

Collecting Dissertation Data

Once you have successfully defended your dissertation proposal and have had your study approved by your university’s institutional review board, you are ready to start collecting data for your study. There are many data collection methods, but how you ultimately choose to collect data will depend on the design of your study. Below are some […]

Choosing Your Team: Selecting a Chair and Academic Committee

To receive graduate degrees, graduate students will likely be required to write dissertations or theses under the direction of faculty chairs or advisors and to present that work to an academic committee who decide whether or not the students pass examination and qualify for graduation. Typically, graduate students are allowed to choose their own chairs […]